It’s always a thrill to meet someone famous. Whether a noted preacher, a politician, an entertainer, or a star writer of weekly devotionals! Well, some of the above. I remember meeting Fred Rogers of children’s television fame. We were at a two day conference in New York City. The first day I went over to him and introduced myself, sharing how much my boys loved his television program. He was so gracious. The next morning, I see Mr. Rogers go out of his way, come right up to me, saying, ‘Good morning, John. How are you today?’ I think I responded, but I was in major shock. So, I’m not sure.

At another time, I met presidential candidate Jimmy Carter on the campaign trail. Then my wife and I attended a rally at Holland, Michigan, hosting President George W. Bush. One of the thousands in attendance, but what a charismatic moment and person.

Shaking hands with the Yankee Clipper, Joe DiMaggio, at Newark International Airport, was a biggie for this lifelong Yankee fan. I was thanking him for visiting me in the hospital when I was two years old and had polio. All the other children and I were in that Sister Kenny infantile paralysis ward that day. Somebody stole the autographed baseball Joe gave each of us. Greedy meanie.

Standing in a long line, headed by a big, burly, tough-looking security guard, I was greeting and talking with Pastor and author Max Lucado at his San Antonio Oak Hills Church. He said that he envied me for all the trips my wife and I had taken. Green-eyed Max Lucado? Jealous of me? Who’d a thunk!

Well, whether you’ve ever met anyone famous or not, if you’re a believer in Jesus, then you’ve come face to face with the very best. Famous beyond measure. Par excellence. The head of the class. Okay, already–you get to the point. Proverbs 14: 22 says this–‘Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness’. Let me introduce you to’steadfast love’ and ‘faithfulness’. Nice to meet you. Quite the thrill.

‘Steadfast love’ is one special word in biblical Hebrew. It doesn’t have an easy translation into the English language. So, we come up with other words and phrases that try to capture its meaning. Nice to know who you’re greeting, isn’t it? Of course. So ‘steadfast love’ is a commitment, a promise made and kept, standing alongside someone no matter what, immovable caring. On and on, we could go, but I imagine you get the gist.

When you welcome Jesus into your life, He gives you His ‘steadfast love’. Nothing flighty, never leaving you for a younger, better-looking, richer convert. His love stands tall when everything and everyone else has fallen down and out of line. He never will. Again, promises made, promises kept. ‘Steadfast love’.

In addition, God is faithful. He may have every reason to get rid of us, to remove us from His family, but that’s not how He is or what He does. He yearns for us to come to Him in repentance for forgiveness and new life. He’ll stay with you through thick and thin. He stands up for us. And by us. Is true blue. ‘Faithfulness’.

When I look back on my life, I’ve given Jesus tons of reasons to up and leave. To wash His hands of me. But He never did. He was, and is, patient, even with the likes of me. And you, too. Good news? The very best.

I hope you’ve enjoyed meeting ‘steadfast love’ and ‘faithfulness’. They’re our BFF’s–best friends forever! Better than any VIP you may run across. Much better.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your lasting love and faithfulness. Amen.

These three words–‘ on our behalf’–floor me. They signify taking action for someone else. Pinch-hitting for one who’s been injured. Sacrificing for somebody else. Putting another ahead of me, I, and myself. Doing what’s right for a mere one more person for a change. And you know who did exactly that for us, don’t you?

Yes, Jesus! His time on earth was all about ‘on our behalf’. Not for personal glory. Or to be a bigshot. Hardly. He came to this earth to do for us what no one else could. As in freeing us from our sin. Forgiving and forgetting our rebellion against God and man. Healing the sick. Restoring relationships. Bringing new life to the dead in more ways than one.

All this was ‘on our behalf’. Can you imagine? Jesus, Lord of all, leaves heaven’s majesty and slums it with human beings who basically want nothing to do with Him. Not a bloomin’ thing. What an ungrateful bunch of yahoos we turn out to be. God wants to clean up what we’ve messed up, and we tell Him, in no uncertain terms, to take a hike. Get out of Dodge. Go back to where you came from. And He does, sad to say, for unrepentant rebels.

But for us who believe, who toss our hats in His ring, who say ‘yes’ to His invitation, He does it all ‘on our behalf’. For us. For you and me. Doing what I can’t, let alone won’t. Picking up the broken pieces that I’ve thrown to the ground and putting them back together again. The monkey wrench I toss into the engine of my life, Jesus reworks and rewires and rejiggers back into reasonable working order. ‘On our behalf’ takes on new meaning when we consider what we can do on our own, without any help from God. As in nothing. A big zero. Goose egg. So why not throw in the towel? Give up, already?

But we don’t have to. For Jesus has it all wrapped up…’on our behalf”. Read those chapters in the New Testament Book of Hebrews, and see how much Jesus achieves for us. Everything, really. Nothing more is needed. He knows what He’s doing… ‘on our behalf.’ Which means that we can relax. Depend upon Him. Show a little faith while you’re at it. Less putting our hand to the grindstone and more enjoying a Sabbath of peace and joy.

By the way, I almost forgot. Here’s two verses from the book of Hebrews I’m going to chew on this week–‘We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain (the Holy of Holies in Jerusalem’s Temple, now heaven), where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever…’ (Heb. 6: 19-20). And–‘For Christ has entered …into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf’ (Heb. 9: 24). Wow!

Our Lord Jesus. Not only for now, but forever…’on our behalf’!

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for all you do for me. I love you. Amen.

Someone has said that Christians are living in the land of the dying, going to the land of the living. Sounds spot on to me. It does seem like the here and now is in mortal decline, particularly in moral terms. Television and film are crammed with tacky raunchiness. I’m so sick of a certain four-letter word. And that’s but the tip of the melting iceberg.

Certainly not much is getting better. Again, that sinking feeling. Reading Psalm 39, I note a timely insight from God’s Word. That life whizzes by like greased lightning, whatever that is. But we get the point. Here today, gone tomorrow. Approaching my 80s seems impossible. That someone has tricked me into thinking I’m this old…as dirt. Roaming around like an old goat. No comments from those of you in the Peanut Gallery. If you know about that Gallery, you’re no spring chicken either! Howdy Doody to you, too!

Let’s get serious for a change, Fischer. Okay, I hear you. You’re right. So, take a gander at Psalm 39: 5–‘Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!’ And then at verse 11–‘…surely all mankind is a mere breath!’ Like me, an old coot, the psalmist David repeats himself… to reinforce what we already know. That life goes by quickly. Before we know it, it’s over. So what? Nothing new there. Seems obvious, doesn’t it?

What I notice is that the Hebrew word ‘selah’ appears after these two verses. Do you see them? Two of them. Now it’s true that no one knows exactly what ‘selah’ means. Not just here but elsewhere in the Book of Psalms, where you’ll find ‘selah’ scattered hither and yon (I’ve been reading Shakespeare again!).

But the meaning of ‘selah’ has been lost. Theories abound. Musical notations? Possibly. Instructions to worship leaders? Could be. But I’m wondering if ‘selah’ means that readers/listeners should stop, pause, put on the brakes, and reflect on what’s been said?

If so, if stopping is needed after reading these two verses from Psalm 39, what gives? King David urges us to slow down. Think about our lives. The good, the bad, and everything in between. Stop running on all sixteen cylinders. Halt horsing around. Don’t giddy up for a bit. Mosey on over to the campfire. Grab a cup of cowboy coffee. Rest your boots and pray. Think about your Lord. Spend quiet time with God. Open your Bible, hearing what your Lord has to say. Listen, already, for a change. Don’t hurry. Enjoy the moment. Even when the world rushes headlong, you-know-where. Especially then.

Selah!

Lord Jesus, in quietness today, I praise you for your love and patience. Amen.